Civil & Environmental Engineering (M.S.)

Civil & Environmental Engineering (M.S.)

Students in Materials Lab

Advance both your career and your earning potential with a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from UNH. Gain the knowledge and skills to develop and improve the safety of structures like bridges and roadways and help ensure cleaner community environments and put your education into practice in our extensive laboratory facilities.

Credit Hours: 30 |   Courses: 10 |   Program Length: 1-2 years

Why get your Master of Science in civil and environmental engineering? 

Earning a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering can be the key to unlocking your career potential or launching a career as an entrepreneur. In fact, those with an advanced degree in engineering earn $15,000 more annually than those with an undergraduate degree. Our master’s degree program will provide you with the knowledge and experience to advance sustainable civil and environmental infrastructure projects that emphasize public safety and health. You’ll enhance the quality of life for people by providing safe structures such as bridges, highways, skyscrapers, tunnels and dams, and by helping to restore and maintain water quality and the environment. 

Why choose UNH’s civil engineering program?  

The civil engineering program offers multiple areas of focus, including environmental, geotechnical, materials, structures, transportation and water resources. Our program is on the cutting edge of smart infrastructure technology through the Living Bridge Project, which monitors the structural health of the nearby Memorial Bridge and the characteristics of the Piscataqua River while harnessing the tides to power dozens of sensors. Our department features a variety of laboratories and centers, including the UNH Center for Infrastructure Resilience to Climate, the Coastal Response Research Center and the UNH Stormwater Center. You can earn this research-oriented degree in approximately two years. 

Potential careers 

  • Civil and environmental engineering  
  • Design 
  • Environmental services 
  • Private consulting 
  • Project management and construction 
  • Public regulatory agencies 
  • Transportation

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Curriculum & Requirements

The goal of the Civil and Environmental Engineering program is to elucidate civil and environmental engineering technology by involving students in the design and construction of sustainable infrastructure projects that emphasize safety and public health. Our graduates enhance the quality of life for people both locally and around the world by providing safe structures such as bridges, highways, skyscrapers, tunnels and dams, and by helping to restore and maintain water quality and the environment. Civil Engineering has always been an exciting yet flexible profession filled with opportunities. The Master of Science in Civil Engineering requires the completion of a thesis in addition to coursework.

All master of science degree students must complete a minimum of 31 total credits that includes a minimum of 24 credit hours of regular coursework, 6 thesis credits (CEE 899 Master's Thesis) and a one-­credit seminar course. UNH bachelor’s degree students admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Program may register for a maximum of 8 credits of graduate-­level courses prior to completing their bachelor's degree. Such courses may, upon recommendation of the department and approval of the Graduate School, count toward both a bachelor's and master's degree.

A formal oral presentation/thesis defense is required. All M.S. degree students are eligible for teaching or research assistantships and are required to register for Master's Student Seminar (CEE 897 Masters Student Seminar) for one semester. Students are required to make one presentation in CEE 897 Masters Student Seminar during their program of study. For graduation, a grade of B-­ or better in each course, an overall B average (3.00 GPA), and a successful thesis defense must be achieved.

Specific course requirements vary with focus area within CEE, please refer to the "explore program details" section on our website.

This graduate program is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis in articulation with certain undergraduate degree programs.

General Accelerated Master's policy, note that some programs have additional requirements (e.g. higher grade expectations) compared to the policy.

Please see the Graduate School website and contact the department directly for more information.

  • Identify and use advanced mathematical, computational, design, and/or experimental skills to solve complex civil and environmental engineering problems;
  • Demonstrate advanced technical knowledge in one or more civil and environmental engineering subject areas (environmental, geotechnical, materials, structural, sustainability, transportation, or water resources);
  • Formulate hypotheses, design experiments, collect and analyze data, and interpret results;
  • Propose, plan, and execute an independent research project related to civil and environmental engineering;
  • Effectively communicate and defend technical ideas, designs, or research results in written and oral form; and
  • Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of sustainable engineering solutions in global, social, economic, public policy, and environmental issues.

Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

  • Fall: Feb. 15 (for funding); April 1 (recommended US; final international); July 1 (final)
  • Spring: Oct. 15 (for funding); Dec. 1
  • Summer: N/A
  • Special: N/A

Application fee: $65

Campus: Durham

New England Regional: No

Accelerated Masters: Yes (for more details see the accelerated masters information page)

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

  • Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
  • Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

GRE Optional

The GRE scores are optional, if you wish to provide scores please email the scores directly to the department once you have submitted your application online.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:

  1. Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
  2. Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.

Explore Program Details

The graduate level focus areas in the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering include:

  • Civil Engineer Recognized for Water Quality Research
    After graduating from UNH with a bachelor's in environmental conservation and a master's in civil engineering, Melinda Friedman went on to make outstanding contributions to the field of water science and water supply.
    Civil Engineer Recognized for Water Quality Research
    After graduating from UNH with a bachelor's in environmental conservation and a master's in civil engineering, Melinda Friedman went on to make outstanding contributions to the field of water science and water supply.
  • Zack Angelini '14 '16G honored by Greenbiz
    Zack Angelini ’14 ‘16G was recently honored by GreenBiz in its annual 30 Under 30, which recognizes emerging leaders in business sustainability around the world. He serves as the...
    Zack Angelini '14 '16G honored by Greenbiz
    Zack Angelini ’14 ‘16G was recently honored by GreenBiz in its annual 30 Under 30, which recognizes emerging leaders in business sustainability around the world. He serves as the...
  • Environmental engineer recieves national recognition
    Jihyon Im ‘13 ‘15G was recently recognized by the American Water Works Association as one of five recipients of the Outstanding Young Professional Award. Im is an environmental engineer at CDSmith.
    Environmental engineer recieves national recognition
    Jihyon Im ‘13 ‘15G was recently recognized by the American Water Works Association as one of five recipients of the Outstanding Young Professional Award. Im is an environmental engineer at CDSmith.
  • Tracking Emerging Contaminants in NH
    UNH graduate student Cassidy Yates is helping to study the way we track and manage new contaminants in New Hampshire waters
    Tracking Emerging Contaminants in NH
    UNH graduate student Cassidy Yates is helping to study the way we track and manage new contaminants in New Hampshire waters
  • AWWA Recognized Graduate Student
    Darline Simoni Balen was recently selected as the American Water Works Association's second place 2020 Academic Achievement Award for the best master’s thesis. Balen, a civil engineer student, defended her graduate thesis in December before it was submitted to the AWWA competition open to all...
    AWWA Recognized Graduate Student
    Darline Simoni Balen was recently selected as the American Water Works Association's second place 2020 Academic Achievement Award for the best master’s thesis. Balen, a civil engineer student, defended her graduate thesis in December before it was submitted to the AWWA competition open to all...

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